An early start, into the sheepy fields. I climbed laboriously up the mountain road towards Machynlleth past Dylife Gorge (pic). I was heading towards the highest point on the Lôn Las Cymru after Gospel Pass – 510m above sea level, and usually 100m above bottom of the cloud level. Indeed, when I did this bit…
Author: Rob Ainsley
Wales 3: Llandrindod Wells to Hafren Forest
I had a quick morning spin around Llandrindod Wells’s lake (pic). Locals proudly told me about the new cycle path around its kilometre or so circumference. ‘Cycle path’ sounds grander than it is, which is a solid-line lane marked off from the perimeter road, but it’s wide and pleasant enough. LW is a Victorian spa…
Wales 2: Abergavenny to Llandrindod Wells
I pedalled up from my bargain Premier Inn room to meet Jack – who was riding with me for the day – at his house on the edge of Abergavenny. We picked some apples from his orchard to take with us and scooted along the back lanes up to Gospel Pass, Wales’s highest road at…
Wales 1: Chepstow to Abergavenny
I’ve done End to Ends of Britain, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, even the Isle of Man. Not Wales though – well, not exactly. I did Cardiff to Holyhead in 2000, and St David’s to Llandudno in 2013, both of them traverses of sorts. That first trip was along the Lôn Las…
York: Bridge game
I’m counting this as route research, even though it’s on my doorstep. On a lovely day I biked all York’s nine cyclable crossings of the Ouse (three of them ped/cycles-only), from northern ring road to southern railtrail, crossing to the other side at each one. Lots of sunny riverside trundling, and architecture ranging from charming…
Eboracum: All roads lead to Roman York
York’s a Viking City: indeed, it’s twinned, uniquely, with itself. With its past incarnation, Jorvik, the place thus rebranded by those non-horned-helmet-wearing Danes in 866. But York is also a Roman City, and today I was cycling in search of its Latin past. The Romans set it up as a garrison town in 71, utilising…
Rudston: Village of standing
One day I’ll write a book about how you don’t need to visit the rest of the world to see the sights. We’ve got our own, better, more convenient versions here. Iguazu? Forget it – we’ve got Aysgarth Falls! Uluru? Waste of money – visit Cronkley Scar and tramp freely to the top. Eiffel Tower?…
Kiplingcotes: Course of history
Yorkshire is proud of its ancient traditions. Someone has blown a horn every night for 800 years in Ripon, for instance. The neighbours must be fed up of it by now. And we can boast England’s – maybe, pace Siena, even the world’s? – oldest horse race (pic). Every third Thursday in March since 1519,…
Inverness 2: Tomatin sauce
Another fab day of cycle route research from Inverness, looping down to Tomatin and back over the moor (you say Tomartin, I say Tomaytin, let’s call the whole thing off).
Inverness 1: Loch Ness monster etc
Back researching cycle routes, at last, after five months of kicking my heels, twiddling my thumbs and drumming my fingers. Who says men can’t multi-task? Anyway, today was a loop from Inverness, through the lake district south of Loch Ness. All fab, varied scenery on tiny back roads devoid of traffic. And, er, cafes and…